


Thaw

by RainbowArches



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Asexual Characters, Gen, Huddling For Warmth, Naked Cuddling, S.H.I.E.L.D. must protect her from the creeps, because poor Audrey, vague mentions of past attempts at abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-02
Updated: 2015-01-02
Packaged: 2018-03-04 21:49:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3091721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainbowArches/pseuds/RainbowArches
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick and Audrey share a bath to get warm. Honestly, it's the practical thing to do. No funny feelings, no hanky panky.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Thaw

**Author's Note:**

> It is one of my very few uncompromising head canons that Nick loves baths, especially fancy ones. That's not as hugely important for this fic as it was going to be, but I just wanted to put that out there.

It wasn’t like anyone’s honour was at stake, but that didn’t mean Nick’s head was free of thoughts about what Phil would do to him if he knew that his girlfriend (ex-girlfriend) had seen him naked, or that he’d seen her naked, or that they’d been rather close in their nakedness. Nothing happened. Nothing wanted to happen. Ever. Phil would know that but Nick doubted that would make it any more pleasant to hear. Didn’t matter, though, because Phil was never going to hear about this. Nick knew that in the event that he and Audrey paired up for whatever reason, Phil would want him to do everything in his power to keep her happy and safe. It just so happened that sitting in the bath together was the best thing for her- the best thing for both of them, really.

The chill had seeped into their bones, making them stiff and sore. The heating was broken in this little room they were squatting in, so with trembling hands he ran a plain hot bath and they let the water and steam soothe away the ache and grime of the day. Positioning themselves had required some awkward, silent negotiation. They undressed with their backs to each other. Nick climbed in first, hugging his knees to his chest to preserve some modesty, and averted his eyes as Audrey climbed in, her hair deliberately arranged over her breasts. When she was in, he spread his legs so that she could lean against him. It was awkward, being in such an intimate position, having only just met that morning. But the other option was to sit facing each other, hugging their knees, and that would have been far less practical. The idea was to get warm quickly, after all. Nick only prayed that his body wouldn’t betray his mind and react to the beautiful woman resting on him.

Phil had told Audrey a little about his boss, and she liked what she had heard. She wasn’t sure if that made this whole situation easier or worse. Would she feel more or less tense if she had no prior knowledge of the man behind her? Probably wouldn’t make a difference. She couldn’t see herself pressing up against a naked man for fun, and even the practicality of this scenario didn’t do much to ease her discomfort. Nor his, judging from the way he kept his legs and arms pressed against the tub, avoiding her.

Not that she was surprised. Trouble pretty much stalked her, and she always had Shield to protect her. It used to be all Phil, in her mind. Only after he was gone and trouble started following her again did she associate him with Shield and Shield with him. And now here she was again, with the embodiment of Shield himself (Phil’s words, once upon a time), sharing body heat in someone else’s tiny little bath tub.

It was a good thing, too. She always told herself, _next time I’ll fight; next time I’ll be my own hero; next time I won’t need saving and no one will mess with me again._ But then someone else would try and mess with her and she was running away, yelling for help, before she could even think. She was still alive, so she couldn’t be doing anything wrong, but it was still disheartening. It was one thing to attend self-defence class and know what to do in the event of an attack; it was quite another thing when you were actually under attack. She was the only woman she knew who loved the damsel in distress trope. Hey, she could relate, and she refused to let that be a shortcoming.

“Would you feel more comfortable if I talked to you or no?” Nick asked. He had to push the words out. The silence had started to feel heavier and nowhere near companionable.

Audrey did the frozen equivalent of a jump, where she tensed for a moment and her eyes went wide, before she relaxed again. Nick’s heart thudded behind her head, as if his own voice had startled him, or he’d exerted himself by talking.

“Sure; talk to me. Tell me things. Just not about Phil. I don’t want to get sad on you.” She was glad he’d spoken first. She had stopped noticing the silence; she couldn’t tell if it was becoming unbearably awkward or not. That tended to happen when she lost herself in her thoughts. She didn’t want to be lost in thought right now. She was in a mood. Maybe a little conversation would distract her.

“You’ll be able to able go home tomorrow,” he said. He talked slowly, easily. Not stunted, the way you might expect from a stranger who was put on the spot. Audrey would have babbled and stuttered, but she suspected that Nick liked to talk and was always good at it. “You might want to think about finding a new apartment though. I can help you with that, if you want. I know some nice ones. Don’t worry, when I say nice, I mean nice. I didn’t bring you here for the décor. This place needs some serious sterilization. Too bad we couldn’t grab your cello. A little music might cheer this place up, take your mind off things. I haven’t heard goo live music in a long time.”

“What kind of music do you like?”

He shrugged. “Oh, anything. I like a lot of old blues. Some golden oldies from before you were even a thought, probably. Classic rock.”

“I mostly play classical. But I’ve probably heard a lot of your golden oldies. My mom was a big music buff.”

“Your mom? Oh God,” he laughed. “I’m old. You’re like a baby.”

She made half an effort to twist her neck so she could look at him. “This is your friendly reminder that we are sitting naked in a bath together.”

“Right, of course, sorry. Wrong thing to say.”

She went back to the more comfortable position of staring at the wall. “And you’re not old. You’re the golden standard generation.”

“You think?”

“That’s what my mom would say.”

He snorted and she smirked. They felt looser and warmer, the tension in their bodies and the barrier in their companionship melting away as the water and the conversation did their magic. Nick found himself wishing for bubbles and bath salts and scented candles. He felt he deserved it, after the last few months. And it would make the bathroom smell a lot better; less damp and midewey. He didn't know Audrey's attitude on baths, but he always felt that was the best way to relax, and she deserved something like that too.

“Maybe I’ll play you a little something tomorrow. As long as you don’t have to rush off anywhere.”

And God, could this feel any more like an affair? Except it wasn’t an affair, Nick reminded himself; not even close. There was no Phil and Audrey anymore. As far as Audrey knew, Phil was still dead. Not that that was relevant, because Nick had no intentions towards her anyway. He wasn’t going to wine and dine the woman who was still grieving over the loss of her boyfriend and his best friend, and he didn’t want to. He was keeping her warm and safe, like he was supposed to, like she was entitled to. Tomorrow she’d play her cello for him and he’d let her because it would be an insult not to.

“I’d like that.”

“Good.” She took his hands and pulled his arms around her middle. “Relax,” she said, before he could think. “It’s just a hug. You can stop justifying everything in your head now. He’d understand.”

Of course he would. If anything, Nick should be apologizing to Audrey. But it was out of his hands now. Phil would have to be the one to give her the news, should he choose to do so. At least, thanks to Nick, Audrey would still be there if Phil decided to see her.

He rested his chin on her head and fell into the hug, letting the contact become familiar, comfortable, the water lapping gently around them.


End file.
